I want to take a quick moment to finally post a review of my experience with J&L Foreign Auto. During the onset of Covid-19 early 2020 my car ... BMW 428i broke down. Specifically óver-heating' warning signs for quite some time were the early indicator that the engine needed diagnosis (for sealant repair) in addition, it was brought to my attention that the engine block not only was missing a bolt but attempts to secure one failed due to a stripped thread which required special tooling in order to rethread and then secure a bolt. My car was in the shop for a few weeks and I was concerned as anyone would be, however, the autobody mechanic team was very professional in communicating and showing me the damage with an explanation with and solution to fix. Lastly, the day I picked my newly repaired vehicle up from the shop ''murphy's law'' came to light for indeed all had signed off with the car repair, however, once I was about 5 miles down the road I experienced electrical issues in point the car would not start back up. I called the shop that evening around 6:00 on a Friday night and they were more then accommodating to pick me and my friend up as we stranded due to AAA implementing social-distancing by not allowing passengers to ride-along to the drop-off destination. This context is all-important for the fact they had serviced my vehicle previously for two issues with payment. However, with the new issue related to electronics, they went above and beyond to isolate and to fix the issue at no additional cost to me (outside of parts). Neal & son are polite, pleasant, and very good at their job as foreign auto repairmen! read more

Don't even waste your time or money! Paid thousands for work to be done and basically feel scammed. The car is in worse shape than when I originally brought it in. SMH read more

I've taken a few cars here and to be honest they have saved me a lot of money and did quality work. a few years ago they also sent me to the dealer for a repair that was covered under warranty even know the car was out of the factory warrant. saved me 10 grand! read more

Awesome! Been getting $300+ Mercedes oil Changes for years! Not any more! I was barely settled in my seat before they were done. Fluids topped, tires inflated, and oil changed less than $200. Friendly, and good long standing here in Detroit! read more

Do not come here! Dropped car off in the morning and took about an hour to get checked in. Upon picking up my vehicle waited another hour and a half after being called telling me it's ready. Mechanic informed me at time of pick up too much oil was put in the vehicle. Do not take your vehicle here! read more

I just brought my 2016 Volvo V60 in to have a bumper light replaced. When they finished in under the estimated time for labor, I saw the warning light on. Bill immediately took the car back in and his guys quickly found the issue. Thank you J & L! read more

We were 3 hours from home when our muffler pipe decided to fall and drag on the ground. Just left an event at Ford Field so I looked for the closest shop that was open. Called and they said they would try to help if we could get there. Went right over and they took it in the shop and fixed it up so we could get home! They don't work on Chevy's usually but really helped us out in a bind! And they were super friendly. If I lived nearby and drove an import that would be my shop! Thank you again guys! read more

J&L has been my go to for a few years now that my old shop closed. They specialize in Jaguars, but are happy to service any make or model. Mike is a friendly, honest guy - he'll tell you if you DON'T need to replace something yet. They remember their customers and their cars visit to visit. They are a small shop, so an appointment is a good idea, but they do take tows and walk-ins. They are also able to offer rides and pick ups in the immediate area which is especially nice in the winter. read more

J & L Foreign Auto Centre - How did they get it in there?? - Auto Repair Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

These guys are awesome. I have had my Jag repaired from them a number of times and each time has been a dream. I know before going in that it will be quite expensive because, well, its a Jag. But they are trustworthy and get the job done right. It also helps to have an authorized Jag repair shop fix issues because it looks good on the service history. read more

We are travelling cross country and our Mercedes GL 550 broke down (front air suspension, rear disk, brakes and wheel bearing). We were in dire situation as our trip is time-sensitive. Neal had all the parts in stock, and was able to squeeze us in the very same day. He was even able to rebuild the bearing, thus saving us a bundle. Thanks to his awesome service, we were able to get back on the road the next day! read more

J&L serviced my BMW 128i. I was impressed with the quick turn around and quality. Would recommend to other BMW owners.

It was tough for my hubby and I to decide on whether we should take our car to an Indy shop after our recent move from Chicago. We previously patronized three really reputable shops in Chicago whose licensed mechanics were trained and certified BMW technicians prior to working at the Indy shops. They always told us what parts to use, how we could troubleshoot issues ourselves, gave us receipts for our parts and did what it took to ensure we never voided our manufacturer warranty. Also, we still took our car to the BMW dealerships in Illinois and Indiana at times for warranty work. Well, our extended warranty expired right before our move to Detroit and we were left vulnerable to whatever the Michigan BMW stealerships tell us. We had an interesting experience with getting our car repaired but we finally saw the "light of day". 1 star was deducted because we had to return the car for warranty work. Apparently, the part crapped out after a few days. I have a little more under standing when it comes to things like this because I'm a licensed engineer at a plant and I know sometimes equipment may fail due to manufacturer defects. No operator or installer is needed to cause failures. However, it is a pain in the butt if you pick up your car and it has an issue a few days later. Plus, you HAVE to read the warranty details. This shop will not cover the cost of a tow, rental car, losses for missed work, etc. All of which happened to me. However, they will re-inspect and resolve any issues related to your original repair for free if you need to take the car back in. The owner Neal is a blue-collar guy that works on bmws and jaguars as a passion and we can tell this by his knowledge and how he speaks about each vehicle. The entire staff is down to earth and a pleasure to speak with. read more

My dad has been taking his cars here for years (Saabs, Infinitis, Audis, Nissans) and they've always been great. So when my dad passed down his Audi, I kept bringing it here. They know all about the history of the car's repairs, and now, they know me when I go in or even when I call. I deal with a guy named Mike and he's always honest about what's wrong, when it will be done and exactly what they're going to do. I know nothing about cars, but these guys sure do. I trust them with my (car's) life!! read more

This place is without a doubt the best auto shop I have ever taken my car. I have a Toyota Corolla, and I was not sure where to take my vehicle for good service in the city. A friend recommended this place, and I am so happy I went! The owner is so honest and really knows his cars. I went there thinking I needed a very expensive job done, and Mike (the owner I believe told me I didn't need any work on my car! It is rare to find an auto place that is this honest. I will definitely come back. I highly recommend this place to anyone with a foreign automobile. read more

I didn't have them do any actual repair on my car; all I needed was temporary fix until I could get it to the body shop at my dealership the next day. Not only did the gentleman in front come out, look over the car, and do the fix, but he absolutely refused to take any sort of compensation for it. Totally stand-up guys/place. read more

I decided to bring my 71' MGB Mark II to the city after years of keeping it in the country clogging up one end of my parent's garage. English cars and reliable rarely go together but this is a clean example and so I'd been able to take care of the little things that got in the way of digging the rides around town. Recently the B needed help beyond my novice expertise and I was amazed that I'd be lucky enough to have specialist within just a few miles of my house in Lafayette Park and my work in Midtown. It also came highly recommended to me by a gentlemen tooling around in a gorgeous 52' Jag convertible I was speaking with on the patio at Northern Lights one day. He ended up being the original owner of J&L and had personally owned over 300 MGs in his life so I knew the recommendation would be legit. Everyone I dealt with there was straight-forward, professional and obviously expert. Nick was kind and an honest enthusiast and a long-time mechanic on Brit-cars and I immediately felt I could trust him/them with my B. The work was done in very reasonable amount of time (3 day turnaround) and they communicated very well and I thought the cost was very reasonable. I am so happy and very proud to have a place I can trust to bring the car right in Midtown, Detroit. They will definitely be the folks taking care of my 71' MGB from now on. read more

Got my carbon fiber strut bar installed here for my Audi S5. They were quick, professional, and have reasonable prices. Definitely recommend if you're looking for some foreign installs. Can't speak to the repair but the installation they did was good. read more

I hade an appointment for an alignment for my BMW X5 made 4 weeks in advance as I was leaving on a 3 week road trip. I needed an oil change as well so I called 2 days prior to my appt to see if I could get this done as well; no problem they said. The day of my appointment as I was pulling up to the block that J&L is on. FIVE MINUTES before my scheduled appt time, they called to reschedule because everyone was sick... Why wouldn't they tell me this on Wednesday when I called about the oil change!? I will never attempt to use them again. When I plan a month in advance, I appreciate some notice so my plans aren't screwed like they now are. read more

This place is awesome! The customer service is top notch and the knowledge goes far beyond any mechanic that I've ever experienced. When I hit one of Detroit's infamous potholes, my strut blew, scared and no way to drive home (on a Saturday ), J&L, although they were closed for business, there were still mechanics hard at work and they offered to store my car inside the garage until the next business day Monday. I was relieved because I knew it would be safe in my absence. When I returned, I was given a VERY fair price for my very major repair. I am so grateful. J&L are lifesavers! If you have a foreign car that needs any repair, THIS IS THE BEST PLACE! If anyone says differently, they're definitely not telling the truth. Thank you J&L!!! read more

Man I miss these guys. Honorable, honest, first class service. This place is a gem. I have a daily driven 1983 Jaguar XJS V12 Coupe that these folks have been instrumental in keeping on the road. They undertook the bear of a job that was replacing my Sub frame mounts, among other things. I've since relocated to California and it's damn near impossible to find a shop of this caliber. The technicians are engaging and you know when you take your car there it's gonna come back fixed properly. I have a XK Convertible for a daily now and the XJS is a weekend toy, but after visiting many shady Jag dealers and service shops for a few simple repairs I sorely miss J&L. Wish I could give them more than 5 stars. read more

I used Google to search for a repair shop in Midtown for a low tire pressure light. I stopped by and Stephen was very thorough by looking at the recommended tire pressure and made sure all four tires had the correct pressure. He also explained what the most likely issue was. read more

If you drive either a BMW or Mercedes Benz, Jag or Audi of any year, this really should be your spot to get your car looked after. I drive a 1995BMW 525 wagon; it's a workhorse and these guys have been looking after it since it was purchased a very long time ago. Not only are they very friendly, they are also very knowledgeable about their craft. My car is running STRONG after 15 years of use and no doubt much of the reason is because it's been serviced by J & L. Yes, it's in Cass Corridor, but their prices are reasonable and you wont get jerked around. High marks all around for these guys. read more

One of the finest auto mechanic shops I've ever patronized. there is no where else that they've ever treated my car like it was theirs. I love this place and the old guys who have a take only fine cars attitude. that's what I'm willing to pay for since I pay the cost to drive (bmw 325I) like a boss. they're in my neighborhood so that means they'll drop you off at home when you drop off your vehicle for scheduled service. conveniently located on cass near burton school at peterboro. read more

Beware of this repair shop. I was in town on business for a few months and needed to have the timing belt on my Audi A4 replaced. This is about a $1000 job that needs to be done at 100,000 miles on these cars. I called around and found some places that did it for $700-$800 or so. As a car enthusiast, I prefer to go to a repair shop that specializes in European cars when I need a big job like this done; so I decided to suck it up and pay the extra money since J&L had good reviews and were supposedly specialists. Bad idea. They screwed up the car on a routine job and I wasted $1000. The day after the repair and the conclusion of my business trip, I drove back to NY and arrived with the car in bad shape. At that point I was lucky to have made it but it would barely start up. I took it two Audi specialists I trust in NY and they both told me something along the lines of "whoever put your timing belt on totally messed it up, the belt is off by a tooth." The Audi guys in NY also told me that the fuel pump hadn't been replaced, which is a standard procedure while doing a timing belt replacement on Audis. The logic is that because you have to disassemble most of the front end of the car to get to the timing belt and the fuel pump sits directly behind the timing belt, the fuel pump should be replaced at the same time the timing belt is replaced. Anyhow, I had to pay another $1000 to have the timing belt fixed properly by the Audi specialists in NY. When I called J&L, they were of no help and were not in the least bit sympathetic. They told me I had to bring the car back to them to do the repairs, which obviously wasn't an option since I was in NY at that point and I wasn't about to spend $1000 to ship the car to them. When I pushed them to do more they said I could mail back the parts and they would replace them for me....this is an insult of a solution as they knew that 1.) it wasn't the parts that were defective, but rather their labor and 2.) the parts for a timing belt job are cheap, around $90. The remainder of the $1000 cost comes from the labor, which is up to 8 hours of work to disassemble the front end of the car and then put it back together after replacing the timing belt. Conclusion: One of two things is for certain, though I am not sure which- Either this shop is a huge scam or they are just bad mechanics with bad customer service and you should take your car somewhere cheaper. read more

I have a 2010 golf and have brought my car in twice to J&L at the recommendation of a friend. (For rotor replacement and a mystery proem which was diagnosed as a detached muffler.) In comparison to other shops I have been to in the Royal Oak area, J&L has consistently given me the lowest quotes. Turnaround is always quick as well. read more

I had J and L look at my car to replace my oil pan, they later said it would cost $147.00 for the pan and $260.00 for labor (3 hours). This is not a 3 hour job!!! When I told them I was taken my car elsewhere, they charged me $90.00 just to look at it. These guys are not fair, you should get all the facts first. read more

What an Awesome Repair Shop & Crew, Mike has not only taken Good care of my car, but also ME. I own an used BMW 330xi (2006), I've taken my car in for specific repairs & these guys were very thorough, honest, reliable, knowledgeable & reasonable. I can't say Thank You enough for the pick-up & drop-off service, as well as, the Free overall Car Inspection. You have a Fan & Customer for Life. THANKS!! Yolanda (10/2013) read more

I am sure they are a good shop if you are NOT a Senior Citizen. My grandmother took her Jaguar there and was taken for her money. First they sent her home without her car fixed. Once she called them back, they told her to bring it in only to uncover all these new issues they somehow missed the first time (24 hours before). At this point in time they have now had my Grandmothers car for over 2 WEEKS. They will not have it until after Christmas, and they keep adding on to the running price. I would like for my Grandmother to just get her car from the place, but they are manipulating her into thinking their doing her a favor. BTW Everybody leaving Reviews looks awfully familiar. I wonder where I've seen them before??? Probaly because they are employees at this awful establishment. This is my Grandmothers second Jaguar and she was better off taking it to the Jaguar dealership!!! read more

LADIES (and men), DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO GET SERVICED AT THIS PLACE!. They did a diagnosis on my car that I had NOT authorized and told me that to complete the work it would cost over $1000. I refused to pay for the unauthorized diagnosis, which made them angry. I asked them to put my car back together and give it back to me. Two days later, I started having problems with my car that I have never experienced. I took my car to the car dealer and had to spend a small fortune to fix it. I shared my experience with others and 3 people (men) said that they had bad experiences with this place and had heated words with the owner regarding their service. They said the place is a joke and they would never go back. All I can say is BUYER BEWARE, particularly women. read more

I was in town on business in Detroit, and thanks to fellow Yelpers I found J & L Foreign Automotive. Not only were they incredibly quick with getting my repair done, they were also nice enough to shuttle me to my hotel while the work was being done. If I lived in Detroit, they would be my permanent mechanic! Honest, quick, diligent, and kind. That pretty much sums them up. read more

I initially had a very good experience with them when I had an antenna for the remote keys replaced, but discovered that the third brake light was out shortly thereafter, so took it in thinking that the two were related (the antenna was in the same vicinity). I was told that the brake light not working was not related to the antenna replacement (which I now highly doubt, see below). So, I approved a $95 diagnostic fee, hoping that it would be a minor fix. After calling several times the next day, I finally got them to call me back, and was told that they were already "$380 in" in labor (apparently I had caught them in the middle of this work), which I had not approved. When they discovered that the light itself worked (by itself), they proceeded to tear apart the dashboard to access the lighting control unit, and then soon discovered that was not the problem, but simply a wiring harness back by the light (the wires had been compromised...hmm, suspicious). When I complained that I had not authorized the additional labor, which turned out to be unnecessary anyway, I was told that I had been notified and they had received my authorization (in other words, I was lying). After I left, the owner called and harassed me on the phone, saying that he didn't like the way I had spoken to his employee (although I had been calm, albeit upset). Additionally, after I left, I discovered that the cargo cover was broken (locked in place), which had not been that way when I dropped it off. Seems like each time I dropped it off, some new issue appeared. I was very surprised by all of this, given my initial experience. I will now avoid this place at all costs. read more

This was the worst experience I ever had with an auto shop and trust me, I had a few in my lifetime. The guy said I needed an engine value replaced and his quote for me was $5000 and the car isn't even worth $5k. I asked was he serious and he developed an attitude and said I can take it somewhere else. Mind you, I had to have the car towed there and now I have to have it towed back and he charged me $90 for that, wtf... I would never recommend anyone to ever had their vehicle serviced there, no way, no how! Oh, and another thing, that's not even the address of the company. read more

I have had the worst experience at J&L Foreign auto centre. on cass ave. in detroit. they had the family car 99 volkswagon from 9-10 -13 to- 12-20-13. to cut to the chase I am 60 yrs. old my daughter and 8yr. old grandson was with me when we went to pick up the car the third time for delivery. it was still being worked on then. We got there and still waited another 30 minutes before we were seen. then Mike Clayton the service manager began to act very angry along with the woman who works at the desk.. She had to be removed because she was so provoking. Then after that I listened patiently to a bunch of nonsense and the owner neil dempz inserts himself into the conversation and begins to use profanity toward my daughter. Her 8yr old son had to to see and hear this. I have learned that there is a business image and then there is the culture two different things. they kept the car with all kinds of excuses for over three months. Had I not kept a cool head including no cursing this could have been on the evening news. When Neil Dempz was so disrespectful to me and my daughter I did'nt fight in his business but intend on exposing them and letting as many people know to stay away from J&L Foreign Auto service on Cass in Detroit. also after all of this now when we leave the radio does not work. I am a business owner regret writing this review however when the public refuse to stand up for themselves this kind of treatment continues. They picked a fight with the wrong customer this kind of practice is UNACCEPTABLE and I will take the daggers for my family, that's what being a dad is all about. read more